Steering and propelling mechanism for floating batteries



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. E. HALLETT.

STEERING AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR FLOATING BATTERIES, 6:0.

No. 419,941. Patented Jan.21,1890..

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STEERING AND PROPELLING MEGHA ISM FOR FLOATING BATTERIES, &c. No.419,941. Patented Jan.21, 1890.

WI TJV ESSES Nv PETERS. Pholo-Lilhogngher. Wnshinglon. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OIIN E. HALLETT, OF VALLEY SPRINGS, (DAKOTA TERRITORY,) SOUTH DAKOTA.

STEERING AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR FLOATING BATTERIES, 8L0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,941, dated January21, 1890.

Application filed June 30, 1887. Renewed April 26, 1888. Again renewedNovember 2'7, 1888. Again renewed June 27, 1889.

Serial No. 315,722.

To all whom it may c0nc0rm- Be it known that I, JOHN E. HALLETT, ofValley Springs, in the county of Minnehaha and Territory of Dakota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering and PropellingMechanism for Floating Batteries or Forts; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a floating battery or fort thatwill be self-propelling and self-navigable, so that it can be moved toany point that may be desirable without the aid of any other vessel.Another object of my invention is to so construct and arrange thepropelling and steering mechanism that the floating battery or fort mayrevolve on its own axis and at the same time be propelled in anydirection desired.

A further object of my invention is to place the control of themovements of the battery or fort entirely in the hands of one person, sothat the fort or battery can be propelled in any direction or be heldstationary, as may be desired, without the necessity of signaling theengineer to start or stop the engine, it being the intention to have themotive power constantly in operation when it is desired to maneuver thefort or battery. I accomplish these objects by the combination andarrangement of mechanism hereinafter described and claimed. 4 In thedrawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a floating battery or fortembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the interior of thefort, showing the location of the propelling and steering apparatus.Figs. 3, 4., 5, and 6 are detached details of my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the respectivefigures.

A represents a floating fort or battery, circular in form andconstructed in any wellknown manner, the sides of which extend up" (Nomodel.)

ward and outwardly from the bottom a to form a considerable overhang. Atpoints equidistant from each other on the bottom of the fort aresecured, by bolts or other suitable means, four plates B B, to form alower bearing for the shaft 0 of the vertical feathering paddle-wheels CO. The wheels are each provided with three paddles Z), the shafts ofwhich are stepped in the lower plate 0' of the wheel and extend throughthe upper plate 0 their upper ends being provided with cogwheels I),which gear with the idlers b and they in turn all gear with thecog-wheel 19 which is mounted 011 the sleeve D, this gearing being forthe purpose of controlling the position of the feathering-paddles forsteering, the. The shafts of the idlers b have a hearing at their lowerends in the upper plate a of the wheel, their upper ends having abearing in the plate 0 through which the sleeve D also passes. Thewheels 0 are preferably so arranged that the lower side of the top plate0 will be on a line or flush with the outer surface of the fort orbattery, so as to present a smooth surface to the water; The shaft 0extends upward through the sleeve D, and is provided at its upper endwith a beveled gear 6, which engages with a beveled gear 6, mounted on ashaft e which is supported by a suitable bearing and which is revolvedby means of any suitable connection to the motive power.

I will now describe the steering apparatus, and as the same arrangementis used for each wheel the description of one will answer for all. Theupper end of the sleeve D is provided with a beveled gear d, whichengages with a beveled gear (1, mounted on one end of the shaft (1 whichis supported in suitable bearings. The other end of the shaft (1 isprovided with a gear-wheel (1 which engages with a worm F, mounted 011 ashaft f, which is supported in suitable bearings.

This worm F is preferable to a gear-wheehasit prevents the sleeve D frombeing revolved by friction of the shaft 0. On the shaft fare alsomounted two sprocket-wheels f, one on each side of the worm F.

G is a bifurcated lever having the two arms g g, in the lower end ofwhich a friction-roller g is mounted. One end of the shaft of the rollerextends beyond the arm g and is provvided with a sprocket-wheel g Nearthe upper ends the two arms are enlarged to re ceive a sleeve h, whichrests in suitable bearings h and serves to support the weight of thelever and form a pivot forit. The'sleeves h also form a bearing for oneend of the shaft 7L2, its other end being supported in suitable bearingsand being adapted to receive rotary motion by means of any suitablepower. Near the outer side of the arm g and in aline with thesprocket-wheel g a sprocket-wheel IL3 is mounted on the shaft 72. Anendless chain g passing over the wheels h and g imparts motion from theshaft 71. to the friction-roller g. d

I l are friction-rollers mounted in suitable bearings, each beingprovided at opposite ends with sprocket-wheels 2' 'i', which areconnected by endless chains 7? to the sprocketwheels f on the shaft ofthe worm F. By this arrangement the worm may be revolved in eitherdirection as required.

The-lever G extends up through suit-able slots in the decks of the fortor battery into the lookout or steering room A.

K is an indicator, which is connected by means of the beveled gears 70,chain 7t, and sprocket-wheel k to the shaft 'f of the worm F. Thisindicator being for the purpose of indicating the position of thefeatheringpaddles, will change its position in a degree corresponding tothat of the paddles, thus enabling the steersman to know exactly in whatdirection the wheel is working.

The operation of the propelling and steering-apparatus is as follows:The wheels derive their motion from the motive power independently of'each other, and are so arranged that the wheels diagonally opposite toeach other revolve in the same direction; but each adjacent wheelrevolves in an opposite direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.Now, if the feathering-paddles are arranged on the wheels 1 and 2 so asto feather on the inner side of the wheel, and

on wheels 3 and 4: to feather on the outer side, and all the wheels arein operation, the fort will be propelled in the direction of the arrowZ, (see Fig. 2,) and by changing the position 'of the feathering-paddleson either of the wheels it can easily be seen that any man by operatingthe lever G is enabled to throw the friction-roller g" in contact witheither of the friction-rollers I I and revolve the worm F in eitherdirection, thus being enabled to change the position of thefeathering-paddles at will. Therefore, as long as the wheels arerevolving the 'steers'man can control the movement of the fort. Bythrowing the friction-rollers into engagement to constantly revolve thepaddles of the respective wheels at the same time that the wheels arerevolving no propulsive force will be exerted on the fort and thesteersman will be enabled to practically stop the fort without havingthe engineer stop the engine or the revolution of the Wheels. Thisresult will be accomplished no matter in which direction the paddles areturned; but it is preferable to turn them in a direction opposite tothat in which the wheels are running.

In order to revolve the fort on'its axis the wheels are set to work inone direction, and in order to revolve it and at the same time propel itin a certain direction diagonallyopposite wheels are set to work in thesame direction in order to revolve it, and the other wheels are used topropel it in the necessary direction, the position of the paddles of thepropelling-wheels being changed as becomes necessary on account of thechange in their position relative to the direction in which the fort isto be propelled.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with thepaddles b, shaft 61 and their intermediate gearing, of the lever G, thefriction-roll g, which revolves in bearings in said lever, thefrictionrolls I I, with which the roll can engage, the shaft f,connected by suitable gearing to the rolls I I, the worm F, mounted onsaid shaft f, and the gear-wheel (1 mounted on the shaft (1 and engagingwith the worm F, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the lever G and the friction-roll g, revolvingin bearings in said lever, of the f'rictionrolls I I, with which theroll g can engage, the shaft f, connected by suitable gearing to therolls I I, the sprocket-wheel Z0 mounted on said shaft, the indicator K,and intermediate gearing between the wheel k and the indicator K,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the lever G and the friction-roll g, revolvingin bearings in said lever, of the friction-rolls I I, with which theroll g can engage, the shaft f, connected by suitable gearing to therolls I I, the worm F, mounted on said shaft, the shaft d having thegear-Wheel (1 which engages with the worm F, the paddle I), connected tothe shaft 03 by means of the intermediate gearing, the sprocket-wheel kmounted on the shaft f, the indicator K, and the intermediate gearingbetween said indicator and the wheel 9 substantially as specified.

'4. In afioating battery or fort, a pivoted lever having a frictionroller revolving in bearings at its lower end,'combined with a pair offriction-rollers mounted in stationary bearings, and a featheringpaddle-wheel, the paddles of said wheels being connected by suitablegearing to said pair of friotion-rol- In testimony that I claim theforegoing as lers and receiving motion therefrom, the friomy own I aflixmy signature in presence of 10 tion roller in said lever being adaptedto two Witnesses. engage with either of the rollers in the stationarybearings, whereby the paddles of the wheels may be revolved in eitherdirection Vitnesses: and independently of the wheels, substan- EDWINCRUSE, tially as specified. PHILIP MAURO.

JOHN E. HALLETT.

